LAW unit 4

The most famous police station in Britain is New Scotland Yard in London, but there are police station all over the country. For most people the police are the face of the law. We visited a new police station in Lewisham, an area in south - east in London. Next they take fingerprints to check the person's identity. This machine scans fingerprints electronically and compares them with the national police database. They also take mouth swabs for analysis of DNA.
Suspects can be kept in the cells at the police station for several hours. This suspect spent a whole night in the cells.
Next day he went to court. Here three magistrates listen to evidence from the police and witnesses. They can examine and analyse material from the crime scene to find out exactly what happened.
Fingerprints are a good way of identifying people but DNA is more reliable. A person's identity can be found from a single hair! Each person has got a unique DNA profile. DNA profiles can be matched on these computers.
The police are the most obvious part of the law in Britain. Their job is to make sure that people don't break the law and to catch them when they do. Forensic scientists provide the evidence that helps the courts decide whether a suspect is guilty of a crime or not. The courts then decide on the sentence.